Lifeless (Book II)

Honest Truth

****

            Alex paced the living room and phoned Max for the fifth time getting no answer from him.  Izzy was probably talking up the phone and maybe that's why he wasn't answering his calls.  Finally he heard a car door close and he hurried over to the front door.  The biggest surprise he got was Vicky standing there.  His heart faltered at the sight of her and then he felt it jump start again as Max walked in past her and patted him on the back.

            "Grace here has a few questions she'd like answers to," Max said.

            Alex looked from Vicky to Max and in truth had no words that could describe just how nervous and grateful he was.

            "Of course," he mumbled.  Vicky stepped in cautiously her eyes scanning the entire living room as she settled at the end of the sofa.

            All three of them sat in the living room letting the air thicken with tension.  Then finally Max clapped his hands together once and looked at Alex.

            "I think I'll leave the two of you alone," he muttered.  Alex threw him a pleading look and followed after Max after excusing himself.

            "Max, please I need your help, I don't know how I'm going to answer her." Alex whispered.

            Max stopped, turned around and smiled at Alex patting him hard on his shoulder.

            "Alex, I'm not a best friend that you can find from one day to another, so what I tell you here and now, is because I care about you, and your feelings for this girl." Max replied.

            "I don't understand?"

            "I'm leaving you on your own, but...it's for the best."

            "Max." Alex protested.

            "If I have to spend another day having to think about this girl..."

            "You're getting sick of it aren't you?" he cut in.

            "Just the opposite Alex, I fear that I might be developing...feeling for her." Max confessed.  Alex was stunned to hear the raw truth of it and took a step back.

            "That's why it is best that I go, I will not allow a simple and small attraction to grow.  I know myself and it will ruin everything.  Go and do the best that you can in explaining everything to Vicky." Max said.

            "Okay," Alex replied in a faint whisper.  Max turned to leave. "Max?" Alex called out.  He turned and looked at his best friend.  "Thank you for your honesty."  He walked over and gave him a quick patting hug and then watched as he drove out of the garage. 

            Alex felt his feet grow cold as he turned to walk back into the house.  Fear was the number one thing that was grasping him at the moment.  He dreaded the idea of Vicky refusing to accept the truth.  He stopped before entering the living room and inhaled a lung full of air before walking in.

            There she sat, hands on her lap and a faceless expression as he walked towards her and stood.

            "Is everything alright?" she asked.  Alex nodded then took his seat finally letting out the breath he had been holding.

            "I'm sorry," he began.

            "For?"

            "I want to apologize f-for disrespecting you."

            "I don't understand?"

            "The kiss," he simply stated.

            "Alexander...why did you kiss me?" she asked.

            Alex looked up at her and had the response at the tip of his tongue but he had to remind himself that she wasn't aware of who she truly was.  Confessing to her that he did it because he was in love with her would frighten her.  The last thing he wanted was to do just that.

            He looked up and scrambled for an answer in his head that was truthful and then he looked into her eyes and spoke.

            "Because I like you Grace."

            Her expression was guarded and only her hands let him in on just how nervous she was.  Vicky shifted in her seat, and he didn't bother in saying anything further.  He was letting the truth sink in.

            "Okay," she whispered.

            "Please try to understand that this is hard for me, I really want to be with you but it's so complicated when...," he sighed and covered his face.

            "You still love her." Vicky finished.  Alex raised his head in time to see the jealousy sparking off of her.  He couldn't help but let a faint smile rise to his lips and then let it quickly vanish. 

            She was jealous of herself and had no clue.

            "Yes, I still love her." he replied.

****

            Vicky bit her lip and looked up to meet Alex's eyes, she couldn't deny just how far her feelings for him and grown.  To hear the confession out of his lips was more painful that hearing it out of Max's.  It stung worse than a physical blow.  The idea of having a relationship with him vanished out the window.  Alex was being truthful.  She composed herself and placed her hands on her lap to keep them from fiddling with each other.  She pushed all of her hopeless dreams aside of ever building a life with him and got down to what she had come for.

            "That aside, I have a question for you." She began.

            "Go on."

            "What interest you about my past, that you even have a large amount of history printed out on it in paper?" she asked.

            Alex rose off the couch and pressed his lips into a thin line.  He was trying to find the right answer she was certain of it.

            "It will be difficult for you to understand Grace...I don't think you will take it well." Alex replied.

            "I don't care I want answers," she snapped rising off the sofa.

            Alex studied her for a moment and then walked over to her but a foot away and whispered.

            "Do you really want to know?"

            Grace felt her body shiver and only a small hint of fear bloomed inside of her as Alex locked gazes with her.  She nodded unable to answer him and fisted her hands to keep them from shaking.

            Alex stepped closer and dared to wrap and arm around the small of her back closing in the rest of the distance between them.  Grace gasped and felt her eyes water, she wasn't afraid at all.  She was enjoying that he was daring to go this far and she wasn't doing a damn thing to stop him.

            "Alex," she finally whispered.

            "Don't be afraid, what I tell you is the truth and I have the proof." He whispered.  His lips brushed hers and she shivered under his touch wanting more.

            "I'm not afraid," she truthfully answered.  Right about now she didn't care for the truth she just wanted to feel. 

            "You're her, you're my Vicky." Alex confessed then closed the distance.